Exciting new research shows following the Flat Belly Diet can reduce deadly fat by more than 30%

A spare tire may be the least-loved symbol of midlife, but vanity aside, it can also be the deadliest. We're not talking about the inches you can pinch. The most dangerous belly fat is actually the kind you can't see: visceral fat, which lives deep within your abdomen and, in excess amounts, can cause a host of health problems. "As much as half of the overall population has too much visceral fat, though many don't know it," says David L. Katz, MD, associate professor adjunct of public health at Yale University School of Medicine. That's because you don't have to be overweight to have excess visceral fat.

Researchers have long known that weight loss can combat belly fat. While initial test-panel results of Prevention's Flat Belly Diet saw participants shed pounds and inches from their midsections in a few short weeks, a new pilot study takes it one step further: Using MRI, Yale scientists have shown that following the plan targets dangerous abdominal fat specifically, reducing it by 33%.

As we age, we naturally store more fat in our bellies, thanks (or no thanks) to hormones. Because it infiltrates the liver, which clears toxins from the blood, visceral fat can wreak havoc on the entire circulatory system. It also contributes to insulin resistance and may eventually lead to metabolic syndrome--a cluster of conditions that include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and elevated "bad" LDL cholesterol levels--which increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, says Katz.

Visceral fat also ups the odds of breast cancer and raises the risk of colon cancer. In fact, the cancer-belly fat connection is so strong that the American Institute of Cancer Research considers a waist measurement greater than 31.5 inches for women or 37 inches for men a danger, and reports that for every extra inch, the risk of colorectal cancer jumps by 5%.

Flatten Your Belly, Save Your Life

The Flat Belly Diet, introduced 1 year ago, was designed by a registered dietitian (Prevention's nutrition director) and was based on research showing that eating a calorie-controlled, Mediterranean-style diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs, for short) may help you store less fat in your belly. Each of four 400-calories meals contains a specific portion of a MUFA-rich food--oils, olives, nuts and seeds, avocados, or dark chocolate. On these pages, you'll meet five who shed belly fat and reduced their risk of serious disease. Their weight loss advice--plus a 1-week sample menu--can help put you on a healthy path for life.[pagebreak]

Breakthrough Research

Flat Belly Diet: The Yale Study In April 2008, Prevention commissioned scientists at the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center to study how the Flat Belly Diet affects deadly visceral fat. Nine overweight women followed the plan for 28 days, and researchers tracked their progress using cross-sectional MRI scans.

The results: Participants lost an average of 8.4 pounds and close to 2 inches from the waist. But most impressive: Abdominal fat was reduced by 33%, as measured by MRI, and related health markers improved.

Total cholesterol dropped an average of 21 points, and levels of fasting insulin significantly declined. "This diet study is exceptional because few have used MRI to look at the effects of a particular diet on abdominal fat," says David L. Katz, MD, director of the Yale Prevention Research Center. "It shows that the plan not only significantly reduces visceral fat but also lowers cholesterol, blood pressure, inflammation, and insulin resistance.

"There is no question that these changes are clinically and statistically significant," adds Katz. "If the plan were sustained, these women would be at reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, you name it. Basically, the diet kicked butt--or, perhaps more appropriately in this case, belly!"

After 28 days on the Flat Belly Diet, subjects showed an average of: 33% less abdominal fat 21 point reduction in total cholesterol 8.4 pounds lost 1.6 inches off the waist 9 point reduction in unhealthy LDL

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"I did it to get energized"

I started getting heavy after my son and daughter, now ages 13 and 7, were born. Throw in a divorce and a stint of steroid treatments for a vocal cord injury, and I packed on the pounds. At 31, I weighed 240 and felt terrible. I couldn't keep up with my kids, and I hated watching my clothing sizes creep up. That's what finally triggered the change in me--I refused to buy a size 22.

Mary's top tip: Have a fall-back food. When I have no time to cook, I'll spread some peanut butter on a whole wheat English muffin and then top it with a cut-up banana--it's easy and quick, and I don't have to think.

Favorite MUFA Meal: Breakfast--especially oatmeal with half a banana, some frozen strawberries, and a tablespoon of chocolate chips

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Tips From Our Flat Belly All-Star

Mary Anne Speshok, 56, was part of our first Flat Belly test panel back in July 2007, when she achieved the best results--dropping 15 pounds and 10 overall inches lost in 1 month. Since then, she's lost 60 pounds. "They say you are what you eat, so I think that's why I feel so great," she says. "My husband and I recently started our own business. Before this weight loss, I would have never had the confidence--or the energy--to pull that off." Here, her best tried-and-true advice:

Measure everything It's tempting to just eyeball portion sizes, but I still take out a measuring cup and make sure the amounts are right.

Play favorites One of my standby meals is a veggie burger with avocado and jalapeÃ±o peppers--it's so fast and satisfying. I eat that 3 nights a week!

Be flexible I keep my daily calorie range near 1,600. But there are days when I'm just hungrier, and then I'll go ahead and have an extra snack.